The Fawlty Towers creator claims that he was recently sent two "terrible" scripts by the corporation.

Cleese told The Sunday Telegraph: "I was sent two scripts by the corporation which I was initially very excited about.

"But then I read them and they were terrible. It doesn't mean what it once did. They have lost sight of the fact that the script is the most important thing.

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"Twenty years ago, there were 30 or 40 great scriptwriters in the UK - most of them at the BBC. Now, there are only seven or eight."

Revealing his explanation for the alleged decline, Cleese added: "Shows are getting smaller audiences, as there are so many channels, so writers are paid less. Perhaps, there isn't the incentive to get into the industry."